A motorbike taxi driver in the northern port city of Hai Phong who was caught delivering drugs on Tuesday said he thought the package contained an antique.

Around 6:00 pm the same day, the district police found motorbike taxi driver N.Q.L., who lives in Cat Bi Ward of Hai An District in Hai Phong, delivering a package containing illegal drugs.

L. confessed to police officers that a man called Thanh had asked him to deliver what he said was an antique worth over VND5 million (US$214) to a house in Van My Ward, Ngo Quyen District.

The driver said Thanh had taken a photo of his identity card and promised to pay him VND500,000 ($21) if he successfully delivered the package and brought back the amount of money.

Shortly later, police in Ngo Quyen District also arrested the sender To Cong Thanh, 26, and the recipient Bui Thi Bich Thuy, 52.

Investigators found three packets of marijuana and a large number of drug-weighing and drug-packaging tools at Thanh’s apartment.

They also seized 420 grams of marijuana and over 29 grams of synthetic drugs at Thuy’s house.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Thanh served as a supplier of drugs for Thuy who would resell them for profit.

The man did not deliver the drugs by himself but instead asked deliverymen to do the shipping.

For each successful transaction, he would pay them around VND500,000.

Police officers also raided a beer shop owned by Thuy in May To Ward, Ngo Quyen District and found the woman offering for sale a new type of synthetic drug that contains ketamine.

To Thi Mai Anh, deputy head of the drug investigation unit at the police bureau of Ngo Quyen District in Hai Phong, said her agency is seeking legal proceedings against the individuals involved in the illegal sale of drugs.

In Vietnam, any individual who illegally deals in narcotic substances faces up to 20 years in prison, a life sentence, or capital punishment, according to the country’s 2015 Penal Code.

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